SnowPerformance Water/Methanol System

[A2000SSinJersey]

I was doing some research and came across this system in a magazine. It sounded like a relatively cheap and easy way to keep away Knock Retard. I understand that Methanol can be corrosive thought!!!!!!! Yikes thats not good

Any one have any experience or and opinion on this??? Hehe... did I leave myself open.....


http://www.snowperformance.net/index.php


Enjoy and have fun.

I love the smell of "burnt rice"

[98 SS]

I have one of the very early snow kits and I cant give you an honest oppinion now. I had a shop put it in and tune it while I was overseas and they used a nitrous nozzle which gave no atomization to the meth. Now I have the correct nozzle and need to get some tuning done to make sure its doing what its supposed to.

[A2000SSinJersey]

thanks for the reply.
Good Luck with it and let us know how you make out.

[VYSSLS1]

ive used a heap of them,

they work great and do exactly what they say they will

[chirogto]

I know Matt Snow personally. When I go with Meth, that is the kit I will buy...

[A2000SSinJersey]

ive used a heap of them,

they work great and do exactly what they say they will

Thanks, So no concern about "Corrosion" huh??

Have fun

[A2000SSinJersey]

I know Matt Snow personally. When I go with Meth, that is the kit I will buy...

Well geeee... You should work out a deal for us FORUM members with your buddy

Thanks and have funnnnnnn

[ImprezaRSx]

Methanol is indeed corrosive. However, you don't run it in your fuel system. So there isn't anything to worry about in that regard.
Also, a good meth system does not need 100% meth.
100% meth has a very low boiling point; like 95 degrees or something. This results in lots of boil off (evaporation). Methanol is also very toxic. So if this boiloff was to occur in the passenger compartment, it might not be a good thing. Especially if you like to light up a cigarette first thing when getting in the car.
Mixing the methanol with distilled water is always a good idea. I use 75% meth and 25% water in all my high horsepower cars. Snow recommends using their "Boost Juice" which is 49% meth and 51% water. It's a little on the steep side (7-9 bucks a gallon) considering meth is only 3.05 a gallon and distilled water is .99 a gallon.
Putting the two of them together is very helpful because they remove excess heat from the engine via different components. The meth when injected into the airstream atomizes and cools the intake charge. On top of that the methanol is an excellent source of extra octane (I believe it's 108). This allows you to run leaner gas mixtures. The water also has a cooling effect. However, it's cooling is done more in the combustion chamber than in the airstream. It removes heat from the surfaces and carries it out the exhaust. This increases your margin to detonation by removing hot spots thus allowing you to run more timing and again, leaner mixtures.
Another added benefit is the cleaning that they do. Hey help remove excess carbon buildup on the pistons and combustion chamber. This again helps to lower the amount of hotspots in the engine.
For Forced induction cars it lowers the EGT's about 200 or so degrees. Allowing you to run more boost. And turbocharged cars spool faster because the steam has a higher specific volume than the water it was before combustion.

I use both the Snow and SMC kits. I like them both. The snow is relatively easy to assemble and works very well.

The key is to get a system that matches your tuning scheme. If you have a MAP car, get a pressure controlled system.
If you have a MAF tuned car, get one that operates on MAF voltage. This ensures that the tune is always accurate and you won't get detonation on some days and not others.

By the way, my name is Dominic. This is my first post.

[A2000SSinJersey]

Methanol is indeed corrosive. However, you don't run it in your fuel system. So there isn't anything to worry about in that regard.
Also, a good meth system does not need 100% meth.
100% meth has a very low boiling point; like 95 degrees or something. This results in lots of boil off (evaporation). Methanol is also very toxic. So if this boiloff was to occur in the passenger compartment, it might not be a good thing. Especially if you like to light up a cigarette first thing when getting in the car.
Mixing the methanol with distilled water is always a good idea. I use 75% meth and 25% water in all my high horsepower cars. Snow recommends using their "Boost Juice" which is 49% meth and 51% water. It's a little on the steep side (7-9 bucks a gallon) considering meth is only 3.05 a gallon and distilled water is .99 a gallon.
Putting the two of them together is very helpful because they remove excess heat from the engine via different components. The meth when injected into the airstream atomizes and cools the intake charge. On top of that the methanol is an excellent source of extra octane (I believe it's 108). This allows you to run leaner gas mixtures. The water also has a cooling effect. However, it's cooling is done more in the combustion chamber than in the airstream. It removes heat from the surfaces and carries it out the exhaust. This increases your margin to detonation by removing hot spots thus allowing you to run more timing and again, leaner mixtures.
Another added benefit is the cleaning that they do. Hey help remove excess carbon buildup on the pistons and combustion chamber. This again helps to lower the amount of hotspots in the engine.
For Forced induction cars it lowers the EGT's about 200 or so degrees. Allowing you to run more boost. And turbocharged cars spool faster because the steam has a higher specific volume than the water it was before combustion.

I use both the Snow and SMC kits. I like them both. The snow is relatively easy to assemble and works very well.

The key is to get a system that matches your tuning scheme. If you have a MAP car, get a pressure controlled system.
If you have a MAF tuned car, get one that operates on MAF voltage. This ensures that the tune is always accurate and you won't get detonation on some days and not others.

By the way, my name is Dominic. This is my first post.

Dominic,

TANX for the info.......... Nice job!

I guess I was a bit concerned about the 'corrosiveness" effect it may have on the intake and combustion area. I imagine it does not get a chance to harm the combustion chamber. How about the intake manifold?? it sounds liek a good way to go, nevertheless.

Thanks again.

And welcome to the Forum.

[Black04A4]

My snow kit arrived today. Corrosion might be a problem, but I thought I would get to use it before it became an issue.

Looks like it sat in the water for a while Summit must have a leaky roof. They have another system on the way, hopefully it will make it here before Friday.

[A2000SSinJersey]

My snow kit arrived today. Corrosion might be a problem, but I thought I would get to use it before it became an issue.

Looks like it sat in the water for a while Summit must have a leaky roof. They have another system on the way, hopefully it will make it here before Friday.

LOL........Bummer indeed!!!!!

Does not look like it will survive the underhood invironment very well??

Unless you dont go out in the rain

Good luck!!!!!!!!!

[Black04A4]

I think this one stayed wet for a long time, when I opened it up the paperwork that was wrapped around the pump was still wet. I think in normal conditions, where it can dry, it will be fine.

[hobbesnmina2001]

Hi,
new to EFI tuning here and I would like to say its been great finding a lot of very useful info in the forum. Definetly a lot of knowledge and experience on this board, thanks for having me.
I would like to clarify a few misconceptions about methanol, and sometimes it gets confused with ethanol.
Yes methanol is a poison and corrosive, more corrosive then ethanol which is drinkable unless mixed with a denaturant agent (poison), that is how its legally sold as a fuel or chemical. As a petrochemical operator for over 33 years I have worked with many chemicals and yes people need to be careful working with all chemicals, however IMO methanol is not as its made out to be, certainly a lot worse out there.
Methanol has a high octane rating which is quoted between 116-120 depending on whom you talk to and when mixed with water it becomes more corrosive to metal parts the pure methanol by itself.
Some racers inject pure methanol, others mixtures often at 50%. The argument as to which is better goes on and Snow Performance backs their claims with dyno runs. Certainly mixed 50% with water the fear of an alcohol fire in the engine compartment due to a leak is removed.
The other argument says water may aborb more heat but it does not burn and in the combustion chamber it is displacing
oxygen and fuel which can burn!
I have run methanol in my drag car (carbureted) and prefer it to race gas. Methanol boils ~150 F not 95 and thats was a trememdous help in my race car which had a closed front end and percolate the fuel in the carb after a short time. The methanol would allow me to drive from the pits, do my burnout, shut off the water pump and fan for the run and drive back to the pits with pump/fan on. Gasoline boils much lower then methanol.
Ethanol has a higher boiling point yet at ~ 174 F and burns slower then gas and methanol so it needs more ignition advance and even though it burns cool like methanol will show a higher exaust temperature like gasoline.
I will be switching to ethanol though because even if it makes a little less power it offers other advantages that make it a better choice.
I have used water injection various times and used typical windshield washer fluid which is most commonly sold with methanol and water, and it works great. I used the low tech systems with windshield washer pumps (Spearco, Holley) in high compression muscle cars and a 2.2 Dodge turbo.
I will be stepping up to the newer high tech types which use the high pressure pumps and provide much better atomization, coupled with EFI tuning and injection control should make for a better performing system.
The pumps used these days are also used in chemical spraying for plants and trees and seem to work fine used in 50% systems.
Ethanol is not far behind as its octane rating is only 1-2 points behind depending on whom you talk to. Methanol's stochiometric is ~ 6.4: 1 and ethanol is ~9:1 so you use twice the amount of methanol compared to gas and 1 1/2 times as much ethanol.
Ethanol is not as corrosive and both will mix with water (hygroscopic) but ethanol will mix with gasoline in any % as long as its dry (no water). Methanol will drop out of solution in gas much quicker after 10% in volume. Certain hydrocarbons like toluene will help methanol as a blending agent so that a higher % will stay in solution with gasoline.
I have been surprised in seeing the base fuel and igniton maps from the repository that show the OEM's have been putting in an alcohol map since at least 2000!

Just wanted to share some thoughts on this, have a great day all.

Carlos